3rd European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies

"Development and codification of international standards in the field of elections”

Moscow, 22 - 23 May 2006
(CEC headquarters, B. Tcherkassky per. 9)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW
(VENICE COMMISSION)
AND
THE CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Programme

Monday 22 May 2006

9:00 – 10:00
Registration of participants
10:00- 10:30
Official opening of the Conference:
Address by Mr Alexander Albertovich Veshnyakov, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation.
Address by Mr Gianni Buquicchio, Secretary of the Venice Commission.

First working session:
Codification of the electoral standards by regional and international organisations.

10:30 – 10:45
Mr Alexander Albertovich Veshnjakov, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation
10:45 – 11:00
Mr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, President Emeritus, Malta, Vice President of the Venice Commission
“The Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters adopted by the Venice Commission (18-19 October 2002)”
11:00 - 11:15
Questions and discussion
11:15 – 11:30
Mr A. Groushko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
11:30 – 11:45
Mr Manuel Carrillo, Chief of Staff for International Affairs, IFE (Instituto Federal Electoral), Mexico
“Some considerations on electoral standards in Latin America”
11:45– 12:15
Coffee break
12:15– 13:15
Questions to speakers and discussion
13:15– 14:00
Lunch (Central Electoral Commission Restaurant, ground floor)
14:00 – 14:15
Presentation of the exhibition

Second working session
Implementation of international standards and recommendations in national legislation and practice

14:15 – 14:30
Mrs Josette Durrieu, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, France, Member of the Council for Democratic Elections
“Election Observations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe”
14:30 – 14: 45
Mr Ian Micallef, Local Councils Association, President, Malta, Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Member of the Council for Democratic Elections
“Codification of electoral standards by regional and international organisations”
14:45 – 15:00
Mr I. Krotov, General Secretary of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of CIS or of the CIS Executive Committee
“Implementation of the CIS standards during the elections in the CIS states”
15:00 – 15:15
Mr Vadim Zhdanovich, OSCE/ODIHR Senior Election Adviser,
Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, OSCE/ODIHR External Expert, Germany
“OSCE Commitments for Democratic Elections
15:15 – 15:45
Questions and discussion
15:45– 16:00
Coffee break
16:00 – 16:15
Mr E. Sloboda, Head of the departement of the election observation missions of the CIS Executive Committee
“Implementation of the CIS standards during the elections in the CIS states”
16:15 - 17:30
Questions and Discussions
17:30 – 17:45
Conclusions of second working session; photo shoot (atrium ground floor)
18:00
Participants leave for hotels
19:00
Cocktail organised by the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation (The Hotel Arbat(12,Plotnikov per/))

Tuesday 23 May 2006

9:00 – 9:30
Registration of participants

Third working session
“New technologies and elections – keeping the diversity or setting common standards?”

9:30 – 9:45
E-voting: recent developments and security of the vote”
Mr Robert Krimmer, E-Voting CC, Research in Electronic Voting
“The latest developments and standard settings in the field of e-voting in Europe” (title to be confirmed).
9:45 – 10:45
Questions and Discussions
10:45 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 11:15
Mr Yashenko, President of the Federal Centre for Informatisation attached to the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation “State Automatic System of Russian Federation GAS ‘Vibory’”
“Electronic systems for transmitting results and their security”
11:15 – 12:00
Questions and Discussions
12:15 – 13:00
Presentation of the Federal Centre for Informatisation attached to the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation (three groups – same path different starting points)
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch (Central Electoral Commission Restaurant, ground floor)

Fourth working session
“Problems of encouraging voters’ participation”

14:00 – 14:15
Mrs Kristina Lemon, Election Authority, Senior Administrative Officer, Sweden
“Effectiveness of voters’ information and its impact on participation”
14:15 – 14:30
Ms Maria Gratschew, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral, IDEA,Programme Officer, Sweden
“National and international measures to enhance and secure participation including special groups of voters”
14:30 – 16:00
Questions and Discussion
16:00 – 16:30
Proposals for the subject of the 4th European Management Bodies Conference in Strasbourg in May 2007 (which could be organised in co-operation with ACEEEO). [1]
Mr Toth, Secretary General of ACEEEO, Hungary
Mr Cimdars, President of the Executive Board Committee of the ACEEEO, President of the Central Electoral Commission of Latvia (to be confirmed).
16:30 - 16:45
Conclusions of the Conference
Possible Press conference:
Mr Alexander Albertovich Veshnyakov, Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation,
Representative of the Venice Commission.
17:00
Coffee break

[1] Association of Electoral Management Bodies of Central and Eastern Europe.